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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Err in the direction of kindness

So, I'm getting pretty good at this "neglecting the blog until I feel really guilty on a Sunday night" thing. Anyway.

This graduation speech by George Saunders has been making the rounds recently - I've seen it reposted in various places and there's typically a focus on the last few lines, about being true to the "luminous part of you", it reminds me of Steve's similar words to new grads on following your heart and intuition. What really struck me though was his preamble on kindness.

"So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it:What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness. Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded…sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth?Those who were kindest to you, I bet.It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder."
Such great words. Let's all try to be kinder this week, friends.

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About

Recognising my love of research as a crutch, one of my lecturers at design school urged me to just pick up my scalpel and balsa and start building something. To my question of "what will I make?" she compelled me to trust that I will "learn in the making"; and I so I did.

This blog is a rolling documentation of my life as I push myself to learn in the making, and a celebration of the small things as I do.